Synthesis, Purification, and Characterization of Carbon Dots from Non-Activated and Activated Pyrolytic Carbon Black

In this work, carbon dots were created from activated and non-activated pyrolytic carbon black obtained from waste tires, which were then chemically oxidized with HNO3. The effects caused to the carbon dot properties were analyzed in detail through characterization techniques such as ion chromatography; UV-visible, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman spectroscopy; zeta potential; transmission electron microscopy (TEM); and spectrofluorometry. The presence of functional groups on the surface of all carbon dots was revealed by UV-visible, FTIR, XPS, and Raman spectra. The higher oxidation degrees of carbon dots from activated precursors compared to those from nonactivated precursors resulted in differences in photoluminescence (PL) properties such as bathochromic shift, lower intensity, and excitation-dependent behavior. The results demonstrate that the use of an activating agent in the recovery of pyrolytic carbon black resulted in carbon dots with different PL properties. In addition, a dialysis methodology is proposed to overcome purification obstacles, finding that 360 h were required to obtain pure carbon dots synthesized by a chemical oxidation method.

Automated summary

In this study, carbon dots were synthesized from activated and non-activated pyrolytic carbon black obtained from waste tires and chemically oxidized with HNO3. The effects on carbon dot properties were analyzed using various characterization techniques. The results showed that carbon dots from activated precursors exhibited different photoluminescence properties compared to those from non-activated precursors. Additionally, a dialysis method was proposed to purify the carbon dots.